Pakistan Senate subcommittee requests documents on Discos privatization — Dawn
In Islamabad, a Pakistan Senate subcommittee on decentralization requested documents concerning the planned privatization of electricity distribution companies, Discos. Subcommittee members believe the matter falls within the authority of the Council of Common Interests, while the government insists that new approval from this body is not required, Dawn reports.
Government position
Muhammad Ali, the prime minister's adviser on privatization, stated that in 2011 the Council of Common Interests had already approved the privatization of three generation and nine distribution companies. According to him, the Council also approved the National Electricity Policy on June 21, 2021, which recommended that the government consider various privatization options to improve the efficiency of state-owned enterprises.
Ali said that the legal department, in a letter dated September 25, 2026, confirmed that, in light of the Council's 2011 decision, no new approval is needed for the privatization of Discos. He also stated that the legal and procedural requirements had already been met, and that returning the matter to the Council could delay the process, affect investor confidence, and worsen the companies' financial condition.
According to the adviser, over the past 15 years these companies have incurred losses of more than $30 billion. He linked the energy sector's losses to electricity theft and operational inefficiency.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Subcommittee position
The subcommittee's coordinator, Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro, stressed that the constitutional role of the Council of Common Interests cannot be ignored. He questioned whether the privatization complies with the division of powers under Article 157 of the Constitution, as electricity distribution affects the interests of the provinces.
The subcommittee instructed officials to submit the Council's decisions, materials from consultations with the provinces, and other documents to assess the procedure in light of the Constitution and previous court rulings. Officials said that the Council had made 11 decisions related to this matter and that, according to available records, no province had formally raised objections.
At the same meeting, senators considered federal spending on areas transferred to the provinces after the 18th constitutional amendment. Ghumro questioned the legal basis for spending approximately 2.6 trillion Pakistani rupees on the health and education ministries over the past 16 years.
